Even climate activists increasingly recognize that the lofty rhetoric of the global agreement to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions, concluded in Paris just over a year ago, will not be matched by its promises’ actual impact on temperatures. This should make us think about smart, alternative solutions. But one such alternative, geoengineering, is a solution that many people refuse to entertain. Geoengineering means deliberately manipulating the Earth’s climate. It seems like something from science fiction. But it makes sense to think of it as a prudent and affordable insurance policy...

Today there is a commonplace — and wrong — impression that inequality is inexorably rising. Oxfam just contributed to the misunderstanding by claiming that the richest eight people own the same amount as half the world’s population. Oxfam measures net wealth, not income. Crucially, it includes ‘negative’ wealth, meaning the 5% of Americans with student loans or negative equity in their houses are considered among the world’s poorest — poorer than three-quarters of all Africans. This means that even the most impoverished soul you could imagine —...

The Paris Climate Agreement will cost at least $1 trillion per year, and climate activists say it will save the planet. The truth? It won't do anything for the planet, but it will make everyone poorer--except politicians and environmentalists. Bjorn Lomborg explains.

Bangladesh halved its poverty rate and grew its economy by as much as 7% in recent years. Yet many challenges remain, from malnourishment in rural districts to air pollution in the capital Dhaka. To help the government tackle the nation’s biggest problems, the Bangladesh Priorities Project asked scores of economists how best to respond. This collaboration between the Copenhagen Consensus Center think tank and BRAC, the world’s largest nongovernmental organization, saw an eminent panel of Bangladeshi thought leaders and a Nobel laureate economist rank 76 proposals. The list...

The first-ever national survey to measure child nutrition levels is an excellent and timely endeavour that will help India to tackle one of its biggest challenges to development. The survey by UNICEF and the government will quantify micronutrient deficiencies as well as worm infestation. Both children and adults need a high quality diet, but feeding young children well makes a big difference for their lives. The first 1,000 days of a child’s life – from conception to the age of two – are vital for proper development...